Sponge thread.



R. A. DUNNING.

SPONGE THREAD.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 7, 1903.

' Patented S8151. 12,1911.

UTED STA@ FAIENI FIPIQE.

ROBERT A. DUNNING, OF YARMOUTH, MAINE, .ASSIGNOR TO KNULAND SHAFFER, TRUSTEE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPONGE THREAD.

To @ZZ 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. DUNNING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Yarmouth, county of Cumberland, State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sponge Thread, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying the same and forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to a form of sponge thread consisting of small particles of sponge held together by a thread or threads.

The object of the invention is to utilize sponge in the production of a thread which may be woven on any suitable loom with any preferred material for warp and woof in the product-ion of fabrics for various uses, such as for bath towels, bath mats, wash cloths, harness pads, and for other purposes too numerous to mention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication and in which like characters indicate corresponding partswd Figure l is a plan view of a sponge sheet composed of small particles of sponge held together by a suitable sizing of a mucilaginous nature, soluble in water or other fluids; F ig. 2 is an end sectional elevation taken centrally through Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a plan view of two sponge sheets as they appear, held together by stitching on a quilting machine which sews them on lines 1 2, etc.; and F ig. 4 is a side view of a sponge thread composed of particles of sponge held together by thread passing through them.

In the manufacture of sponge thread, I take sponge, sort it and free it from shells or other foreign matter and impurities, then run it through a picking machine to pick it to any required degree of tineness. This product is washed and dried and then treated with a suitable mucilaginous sizing which may be gelatin and paratlin compound, glue and soap, or any other suitable sizing. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 7, 1908.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

serial No. 456,655.

particles of picked sponge are then spread out in thin sheets to make the proper thickness of sponge sheet for the intended use, and pressed to cause the pieces of sponge to adhere together. After the sizing has dried and set, the sheets of sponge are then run through a quilting machine, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to produce rows of stitching a sulficient. distance apart to make the threads of sponge of suitable size for the purpose intended. 'lhe sheets are then cut between the rows of stitching. The sizing may then be washed out of the sponge thread so that the sponge will resume its normal absorbent condition, when it is ready to be woven into the kinds of fabric that it is designed to produce.

As seen in Fig. 3, the stitching shows plainly, but when the sizing has been washed out, the sponge will swell, renewing its cellular absorbent condition so that the stitching` will be entirely concealed, and the particles of sponge resume their moisture-absorbent and retaining characteristics.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- .1. A. new article of manufacture, comprising a continuous rope or thread of sponge joined together by a thread or threads stitched through a plurality of particles of sponge.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting of a thread or string of sponge, comprising a plurality of particles'of sponge combined and held together by a plurality of threads stitched through them.

I n testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this the fteenth day of Sept. A. D. 1908.

EoBEEr A. Donnino. [ne] `Witnesses CHARLES U. KINGBonN, LEONE R. Coon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

